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Minna no Nihongo, lesson 26

Lesson 26:

Lesson 26 of Minna no Nihongo, “Explaining with んです, and asking for help”, teaches 6 grammar patterns, including , , , and 29 words. Here is every word with romaji and English, the grammar explained with examples, and 45 example sentences.

Updated

Grammar

Explaining: it's that …

Put んです after a plain form to explain something, or to give the reason behind what's happening: あたまが いたいんです (I've got a headache, that's why). It's very common in speech, and sounds warmer than a bare ます. A noun or な-adjective takes な before it, where the plain form would have だ: びょうきなんです, ひまなんです.

  • Atama ga itai ndesu. I've got a headache.
  • Sumimasen. Densha ga okureta ndesu. I'm sorry. The train was late.
  • Ashita wa hima na ndesu. I'm free tomorrow.

Asking: why, what's going on?

With か, it asks for an explanation of something you've seen or heard: どう したんですか (what's the matter?), どこで かったんですか (where did you get it?). It shows interest, so use it when something has caught your eye; asked out of the blue it can sound nosy.

  • Dou shita ndesuka. What's the matter?
  • Suteki na kaban desu ne. Doko de katta ndesuka. What a lovely bag. Where did you buy it?
  • Kinou doushite yasunda ndesuka. Why were you off yesterday?

Could you please …?

〜て いただけませんか is a very polite request, politer than 〜て ください. People usually explain first with 〜んですが and then ask: にほんごが わからないんですが、えいごで はなして いただけませんか. The が softens it and leads into the request.

  • Nihongo de tegami o kaita ndesuga, chotto mite itadakemasenka. I've written a letter in Japanese. Could you have a look at it?
  • Nihongo ga wakaranai ndesuga, eigo de hanashite itadakemasenka. I don't understand Japanese. Could you speak in English?
  • Undoukai no basho o oshiete itadakemasenka. Could you tell me where the sports day is?

What should I do?

Ask for advice with a question word and 〜たら いいですか: どこに だしたら いいですか (where should I put it?), だれに きいたら いいですか (who should I ask?). You met どう したら いいですか in lesson 25.

  • Gomi wa doko ni dashitara ii desu ka. Where should I put out the rubbish?
  • Dare ni kiitara ii desu ka. Who should I ask?
  • Nanji ni kitara ii desu ka. What time should I come?

Any time, anywhere, anyone, anything

A question word + でも means "any …": いつでも (any time), どこでも (anywhere), だれでも (anyone), なんでも (anything). Compare なにも (nothing, with a negative) and なにか (something).

  • Itsudemo asobi ni kite kudasai. Come and see us any time.
  • Kono mise ni wa nandemo arimasu. This shop has everything.
  • Daredemo haitte mo ii desu. Anyone can come in.

Like this, like that

こんな, そんな and あんな come before a noun and mean "… like this / like that", the same split as これ, それ and あれ: こんな かばん (a bag like this one), あんな うち (a house like that one over there). そんな ことは ありません is a modest "not at all".

  • Konna kaban ga hoshii desu. I want a bag like this.
  • Anna uchi ni sumitai desu. I'd like to live in a house like that.
  • Iie, sonna koto wa arimasen. No, not at all.

Vocabulary: 29 words

Verbs

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
sagashimasu look for, searchさいふを さがして います (I'm looking for my wallet). Plain forms: さがす, さがさない, さがした.
okuremasu be late (for)What you're late for takes に: かいぎに おくれました. A group II verb: おくれる, おくれない, おくれた.
maniaimasu be in time (for), make itでんしゃに まにあいました (I caught the train in time).
yarimasu doA casual word for します: いっしょに やりましょう (let's do it together).
hiroimasu pick upみちで さいふを ひろいました (I found a wallet in the street).
renrakushimasu get in touch, contactWho you get in touch with takes に: やまださんに れんらくします.
gomi o dashimasu put out the rubbish

Places and things

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
undoukai sports day
bonodori Bon dance (a summer festival dance)
furiimaaketto flea market
basho place
borantia volunteer, volunteer workボランティアを します (do volunteer work).
saifu wallet, purse
gomi rubbish, litter
moeru gomi burnable rubbishJapanese towns collect each kind of rubbish on its own days.
heijitsu weekday

Phrases and other words

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
kibun ga ii feel good, feel well
kibun ga warui feel unwell, feel sick
kondo next time; this coming (Sunday…)こんどの にちようび (this coming Sunday).
zuibun really, quite (more than you expected)
chokusetsu directly, in person
itsudemo any time
dokodemo anywhere
daredemo anyone
nandemo anything
konna ~ like thisAlways followed by a noun: こんな かばん (a bag like this). そんな is "like that" (near you) and あんな "like that" (over there).
sonna ~ like that (near you)そんな ことは ありません (that's not true, not at all).
anna ~ like that (over there)
dou shitandesuka What's the matter? What happened?

Example sentences

  • Dou shita ndesuka. What's the matter?
  • Atama ga itai ndesu. I've got a headache.
  • Chotto kibun ga warui ndesu. I don't feel very well.
  • Kyou wa kibun ga ii desu. I feel good today.
  • Doko e iku ndesuka. Where are you off to?
  • Yuubinkyoku e iku ndesu. Tegami o dasu ndesu. I'm going to the post office. I'm sending a letter.
  • Suteki na kaban desu ne. Doko de katta ndesuka. What a lovely bag. Where did you buy it?
  • Furiimaaketto de katta ndesu. I bought it at a flea market.
  • Kinou doushite yasunda ndesuka. Why were you off yesterday?
  • Kaze o hiita ndesu. I had a cold.
  • Haha wa ima byouki na ndesu. My mother is ill at the moment.
  • Ashita wa hima na ndesu. Isshoni dekakemasen ka. I'm free tomorrow. Why don't we go out together?
  • Sumimasen. Densha ga okureta ndesu. I'm sorry. The train was late.
  • Kesa kaigi ni okuremashita. I was late for the meeting this morning.
  • Takushii de ittara, maniaimashita. I took a taxi and made it in time.
  • Ima kara itte mo, maniaimasen. Even if we go now, we won't make it.
  • Nani o sagashite iru ndesuka. What are you looking for?
  • Saifu o sagashite iru ndesu. I'm looking for my wallet.
  • Michi de saifu o hiroimashita. I found a wallet in the street.
  • Jikan ga wakattara, renrakushite kudasai. When you know the time, please let me know.
  • Yamada-san ni chokusetsu renrakushite kudasai. Please contact Mr. Yamada directly.
  • Nihongo de tegami o kaita ndesuga, chotto mite itadakemasenka. I've written a letter in Japanese. Could you have a look at it?
  • Ee, ii desu yo. Yes, of course.
  • Nihongo ga wakaranai ndesuga, eigo de hanashite itadakemasenka. I don't understand Japanese. Could you speak in English?
  • Undoukai no basho o oshiete itadakemasenka. Could you tell me where the sports day is?
  • Gomi wa doko ni dashitara ii desu ka. Where should I put out the rubbish?
  • Asoko ni dashite kudasai. Please put it out over there.
  • Moeru gomi wa getsuyoubi to mokuyoubi no asa dashite kudasai. Please put out burnable rubbish on Monday and Thursday mornings.
  • Dare ni kiitara ii desu ka. Who should I ask?
  • Nanji ni kitara ii desu ka. What time should I come?
  • Doko de kattara ii desu ka. Where should I buy it?
  • Konna kaban ga hoshii desu. I want a bag like this.
  • Iie, sonna koto wa arimasen. No, not at all.
  • Anna uchi ni sumitai desu. I'd like to live in a house like that.
  • Itsudemo asobi ni kite kudasai. Come and see us any time.
  • Kono mise ni wa nandemo arimasu. This shop has everything.
  • Daredemo haitte mo ii desu. Anyone can come in.
  • Dokodemo ii desu. Anywhere is fine.
  • Zuibun yasui desu ne. That's really cheap!
  • Isshoni yarimashou. Let's do it together.
  • Natsu ni kouen de bonodori ga arimasu. There's a Bon dance in the park in summer.
  • Nichiyoubi ni borantia o shimasu. I do volunteer work on Sundays.
  • Heijitsu wa isogashii desu. I'm busy on weekdays.
  • Kondo no nichiyoubi wa undoukai desu. This coming Sunday is sports day.
  • Maiasa gomi o dashimasu. I put out the rubbish every morning.

Conversations to practise

In the app you play one of the speakers and choose what to say, line by line, with natural Japanese voices.

  • What's the matter?You don't feel well at work. Ms. Sato notices and comes over.
  • Where does the rubbish go?You've just moved into a flat. You ask your neighbour, Ms. Ito, about the rubbish.
  • Could you have a look?You've written an email in Japanese. You ask Mr. Matsumoto to check it.

Practise lesson 26

Flashcards, spelling with kana tiles, sentence building and conversations. Free to start: lessons 1 and 2 need no sign-up, 3 to 5 a free account, and lesson 6 onwards Premium.

Start lesson 26